


Letting down my hair

by Mouse (clandestineAbattoir)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1930s, Chicago (City), M/M, Russian Mafia, Speakeasies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 08:57:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15093446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clandestineAbattoir/pseuds/Mouse
Summary: Kent parson is a closeted hockey player that frequents a speakeasy so much that the waitress knows his order by heart. Alexei is an openly gay mobster that owns the bar.





	Letting down my hair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inlovewiththeirlove (fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers/gifts).



Kent Parson had had a very long day. Hockey practice was more grueling than ever, and he could have sworn the guy was trying to break his neck. He guess he didn’t blame him, all of the teams were under a lot of stress now, due to the recession that seemed to be steadily digging at the economy.   
The Chicago hockey player wandered down Randolph, the city around his bustling. That was the nice things about the city, it kept going, all night. And he tended to keep going because of that. But right now what he needed to keep him going was some good, strong booze.  
Despite being banned, liquor wasn’t exactly hard to come by, especially in a place like Chicago, where the mobs held such powerful sway over public opinion. One only had to walk a few blocks along the streets of the loop to find one or more places that more or less most definitely stocked illicit beverages. Kent Parson was looking for one in particular, however. It was on the corner of Randolph and Wabash, a swanky little hole in the ground that was filled with smoke and men dressed in pressed suits that produced the smoke.   
He sat at a table, in the back, away from the brunt of the cigar smoke that pressed against his lungs obnoxiously. A man in a suit, tall and mousey, shit him a look from a nearby table as he sat. Probably recognized him from hockey. He wouldn’t be surprised. A waitress, a short girl with even shorter hair a determined spark in her eye that the people of the speakeasy affectionately referred to as Lardo, swung by Kent’s table, putting him down for the usual. A bowl of mac n cheese and a half bottle of gin. He was a man of simple tastes.   
“I wonder what they do with other half of gin bottle..” He caught the mousey guy from earlier mumbling to his friends. Huh. That was new. Mostly the patrons of the place kept to themselves. Kent blinked at this man, who was now looking at him.   
“Uh…”  
The tall Russian just laughed.   
“I am kidding, of course. I know what happens. I have to. This is my restaurant.”  
Oh, so this must be Alexei, the infamously elusive mobster who had control of the speakeasy. He had heard about him in passing whispers, but never seen or talked to him before. Kent had to admit, the guy fit the bill of a mobster almost a little too perfectly. Tall, fit, foreign man in a well tailored suit. The worst part was that Kent was absolutely attracted to him, but there was no way in hell he was telling anyone that.   
“Well, you serve good food then,” Kent commented after a few painfully awkward seconds of silence.   
“You flatter me. Is nice to have famous men in my restaurant. I am actually a hockey fan myself, you know?” The mobster turned around in his seat, his knees hugging the back of the chair as he spoke to Kent.   
“Oh really?” The blonde leaned forward, either in genuine or feigned interest, he hadn’t decided yet.  
Alexei grinned, and oh fuck was Kent screwed if he had to get up anytime soon.  
“Yes! I gave Norris lots of money to start your team. So far, your performance does not disappoint.”  
“Well I’m glad to hear that,” Kent said politely.   
Alexei got up from his table, and sat down closer to Kent. From.here, Kent could see certain light in the mobster’s eyes that he in no way would have expected to see there. Something about it was pure and good. But under that light there lay a great power in those big brown eyes.  
“When I hear that famous hockey player frequents my restaurant, I just had to check it out. Was wondering if you were attractive. Answer is yes.”  
Kent narrowed his eyes infinitesimally. Was this guy… flirting with him? That didn’t seem quite right. Nobody knew Kent was gay, and it seemed odd for a mobster to openly flirt with one of his patrons. Or maybe it didn’t. That actually seemed plausible, now that he thought of it.   
Alexei seemed to be watching his face carefully, hands clasped in front of him and one side of his perfect mouth twisted into a slight frown.   
“Come on, Kenny, do not tell me I am reading signs wrong. I am letting hair down for you here.”   
Oh. Okay. So that’s what was happening here. Kent glanced around, once, twice, making sure nobody was about to hear the conversation he was having.   
“I have a reputation to maintain. I can’t be as open about this as you, so I have to be careful. You understand. I needed to make sure I was reading into this right first.”  
Alexei nodded, slight frown traveling upward, a small smile lighting across the man’s features.   
“Of course. You have to protect yourself. Cannot have world know that tough hockey superstar is secretly fairy,” he nodded solemnly, “so, Kenny, do you want to do this? Will even let you be jocker.”   
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m more of a punk myself.”   
An even bigger smile drew across Alexei’s features. He seemed excited. There was a brief pause in the conversation as Lardo brought over his gin and mac n cheese. She looked from Alexei to Kent briefly and winked at kent, smirking to himself. “Nice pick,” she mumbled and walked back into the bustling crowds of the speakeasy.   
Alexei rolled his eyes at the server and stuck out his tongue childishly at her back as she swept away. Turning back to Kent, he quelled the fear that was already rising in his throat like bile.   
“Do not worry. Lardo is good secret keeper. She will not out you. Now, back to conversation at hand. Glad to hear you are punk. Am more of wolf myself. So. Finish you food and your booze, and meet me at Bughouse Square.”   
With those, the taller man swept out of the restaurant, leaving Kent to eat and look forward to the night ahead.


End file.
